In Japan, a typical anime series can cost around $300 once you purchased every bit-sized volume. Marina Sasaki said this is the primary reason for fans avoiding home video releases.

While the falling home video market seems like the apocalypse since they depend heavily on its sales, it’s not all bad news for anime. The industry itself has been growing over the past 5 years, thanks to international licensing, live-action movie adaptations, and merchandising.